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Introduction by Roger Gallo - I am not alone in believing that John Steinbeck's 'Log from the Sea of Cortez' [1941] can be viewed as the first example of a new form of travel literature. The Log combines science, philosophy, art and ethics in a form of narrative that in my opinion was not equaled as travel literature until Bruce Chatwin wrote 'In Patagonia' [1977] almost forty years later.  Colin Reedy's writing in 'Letters From The Blue Water' reminds me of Steinbeck's Log.  Both combine humor with insight, an obsession with equipment, (sea gear) the organization of stow space - - this in tempo with intelligent witness to that which is being seen by writer and reader. The voyage as mental motion picture, recording the soul of the observer.  On such a voyage, and in such writing, it is more important to know what to leave out than what to include.  Weight is a factor; including what is essential, is essential. Balance is important, especially under sail. ...and there are questions.  When your drive to act is the pleasure of the action, what about the compass?  "The compass simply represents the ideal..." Stienbeck tells us, "...present, but unachievable."  "Sight steering is a compromise with perfection...."  ..yes, sight steering is imprecise; it meanders, leaving us to ask, what is the true heading if one is seeking adventure?  I've known Colin Reedy for almost 15 years.  He studied design in Milan, traveled throughout the Mediterranean on a motorcycle, into Turkey, Egypt and the Arabic world.  When I first met him he hung around with a Dutch girl named Muriel who was one of the most gorgeous and intelligent women I've ever met.  He let her get away.  I scolded him.  He hung his head and smiled.....  not to be restricted to one thing, his obsession then, as now, is the world, his designs, tomorrow, and the day after; and out of this mess of pottage, what he can innovate.  To invent.  I've never seen him when he wasn't working/creating innovating.  Yet he manages to turn work into fun, as this log will manifest.  When I started the EscapeArtist.com website Colin submitted one of the first articles, 'Global Nomadic Housing For Expatriates' - which is an article based on his design for housing that you can ship around the world with you, like an immense livable suitcase.  That article has always been one of the most popular articles on our website and it spun off an online discussion group that has now had a seven year history of being online and active.  Colin's passion is contagious...  Look at his reasons for why he would take off on a sea voyage around the world; Why?  "To learn and experience the world first hand, and challenge ourselves against the vast unknown. To escape the daily routines that blur one week into the next. To shirk steady secure careers now, in favor of amazing memories that last forever." Three guys, a 41-foot sailboat, and enough gear and equipment to wrap half way around the world... three guys doing what most of us only dream about doing.  It's the sort of adventure that makes me want to go off and do something similar.  To just chuck it and ship out, into the blue water. ....the blue water   ...in pursuit of amazing memories that last forever. I'm intoxicated. We will be featuring 'Letters From The Blue Water' in each issue of our eZine.  It is the best sort of travel adventure, the photographs are good, the heroes handsome, the writing intelligent, the observations pertinent.  I'm glad Colin is letting us publish this log on our website...  he is a good friend and I'm proud of him for his many accomplishments...   even if he did let Muriel get away.  - - Roger Gallo is the Publisher of EscapeArtist.com - . Three guys, a 41-foot sailboat, and enough gear and equipment to wrap half way around the world...which is exactly what we hope to do.  Sailing south from California...along Central America to Costa Rica ...then west across the South Pacific...Australia...Asia...India. We've dropped everything in our lives for this global wander.  We quit jobs, rented houses, sold cars, left girlfriends, and gave away everything that won't fit on the boat.  That was the first challenge.  Then we left on an overloaded 20-year old boat with countless problems and half the knowledge to fix them.  However, time, good judgement, and a bit of luck should balance it all out. We expect to learn to sail across oceans, read wind and weather, catch fish, fix things with limited resources, hassle with custom officials, explore new countries, get sick and scared and maybe hurt, and possibly lose valuable belongings to nature and thieves. Why? To learn and experience the world first hand, and challenge ourselves against the vast unkown. To escape the daily routines that blur one week into the next. To shirk steady secure careers now, in favor of amazing memories that last forever. And to return with great stories, photos, and confidence in ourselves.  This website will keep track of our journey.  Please feel free to contact us, we enjoy the feedback. To Contact Colin Reedy and the Crew of the Yacht Barraveigh  - Click Here - Background - Captain And Crew We've all passed our exams for a Captain's license with the US Coast Guard, so technically, we are all "Captains" ...but Bob owns the boat and secretly reads many books about leadership, so more often than not he assumes the role.  I met Bob in 1991 motorcycling thru the Mediterranean. After camping thru Greece and Crete, I was on my way to Egypt via Israel to see the pyramids. Bob was about the only other Gringo on the boat to Haifa. I convinced him to skip working at a kibbutz and join me to Egypt. Great adventures followed and we've been good friends ever since. Bob is the visionary hero here for making this whole trip happen. He's reorganized his life and spent the last year focusing toward this adventure. He's also the team cheerleader keeping our spirits high and our efforts on target. He's great about safety and efficiency issues on the boat, but unfortunately not troubled much by aesthetics or clutter. I'm working on that.  Ryan is Bob's cousin and managed to cover some serious ground in his 26 years. Originally from Phoenix, he's worked and wandered thru Mexico, Thailand, Hawaii, and spent the last few years driving sport fishing boats off San Diego. He's our fishing guy and rapidly becoming the electricity expert by untangling and rewiring most of the power systems on the boat. His yoga tempered patience and attention to detail make up for his cooking and Country music.

Ship's Crew Colin Reedy . Bob Friedman . Ryan Jannenga . ....... Real Estate In Asia-Pacific See Current Real Estate Listings In Asia-Pacific & Oceania  -  Now In Our Real Estate Marketplace - Numerous real estate listings for Belize  with color photos - Beachfront bargains, Farms, Islands, Enclaves, Coast Property, Sale by Owner, Current Listings 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Sell Your Property In Asia-Pacific .... .

. About Colin Reedy Designs: In his prize winning furniture designs Colin innovated a way of using recycled plastics and other materials, including used coffee grounds, recycled HDPE plastic, recycled rubber, steel and aluminum. The proper disposal of solid waste is a concern worldwide.  Efforts have been made to encourage everyone to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink the products they are consuming.  Here is someone who is doing exactly that and creating something useful and beautiful at the same time.  Colin's design philosophy is: "reduce, reuse, recycle, relax."  His highly innovative creations demonstrate an excellent use of recycled materials; reduction of landfill waste, and the production of absolutely stunning furniture.  "Plastic has many nice characteristics," says Colin.  His tables, chairs, and benches twist and arch, taking advantage of plastic's bending character.  He has created everything from playground equipment for city parks, to highly sophisticated art forms which decorate the houses of the rich and famous.

I'm the "materials and design" guy. They look to me for functional and efficient improvements anywhere on the boat. Nothing is more fun. With a background in Industrial Design and years spent making furniture and interiors, I know how things are made, fixed.... or can be quickly rigged up in an emergency. I imagine we'll all have these abilities in the coming months. I'm also the one to organize much of the boat for storage and access.  I know where everything is and why.  Originally, I was also the "engine guy" in charge of learning and trouble shooting the diesel engine. But I think we all have assumed a partial role on that. My other useful qualities include photography, first aid, cooking, and the ability to fumble thru Spanish, French, and Italian. 5 DEC 05 Ensenada Fixed freezer part after 3 days running around town getting parts and advice. Now we can keep our fish catch cool and the future sushi fresh. We're barely out of the US but it feels foreign to me. Went to Hussong's Cantina the first night (of course) but have kept it pretty low key ever since. Prices here are still a bit high, but the fish tacos are irresistible. We leave first thing tomorrow for a small island named St. Martin about a 125 miles south. that should take us a full 24 hours. it's 3 miles off shore and an extinct volcano with a seal colony and lava caves. sounds interesting. When sailing at night, we take shifts (watches) of 2 hours each throughout the night. With three of us, this gives 4 hours off and enough time to get some rest. Hopefully, we will sail the whole way without using the motor. Heading down the coast of Baja California, the winds generally blow from the north or the northwest, which is perfect. However, since being in Ensenada, we've seen good winds come off the land from the east and even a bit from the south. Weather reports look good for tomorrow's trip and the next few days.  7 DEC 05 Great Start: no wind, engine problem, sick. One day out of Ensenada. Started my midnight watch by brushing the barf taste out of my mouth, again. I’ve only been seasick once before, on a whale watching boat out of San Francisco….but I’ve been nauseous every time we go out in this boat….not a great sign. We left Ensenada after 3 days and several trips to a cinderblock shanty that was the office of our freezer repair experts. We wandered town for parts and shuttled two technicians in our dinghy out to the anchored boat for work. Pressurizing the lines three times...new filter...different compressor...endless. Then it quit working three days south of Ensenada.  I paddled ashore the last morning to get some squid for fishing and mackerel as bait in the crab traps…wondering what will crawl into my crab traps when we get to the island.

We calculated this trip at about one 24 hours based on sailing 5 knots. The wind has been much lighter than hoped, our engine hassle had us sailing west to keep offshore until we had power, and we left Ensenada later than I’d hoped. So here we are, bobbing around in almost no wind and still about a day from our destination. Gotta get used to that.

5:15pm….decided to pull into a place called Bahia Colnett, about half way between Ensenada and St Martin. Slow motoring day, but nice and sunny. We set anchor in about 40 feet and 1/3 mile off some high cliffs with a pounding surf. Good wind break. Watched a clear sunset with beers and Ben Harper while setting out a fishing pole. Ryan caught about 8 little fish and I dropped in both crab traps…hoping for lobster. So far I’ve got two spider crabs, one keeper.

8 DEC 05 Bahia Colnett

Woke at 6:30, made coffee, did an hour of Spanish study, then paddled the red kayak ashore for a hike up a small rocky canyon to the plateau. Bashed my ankles on the rocky beach approach….gotta practice those beach landings. Sweeping views, steep cliffs, angry stickery plants. Called the guys on the walkie-talkie to check in and wave from the cliff top.

The next weeks along Mexico are the shakedown period where we will adjust to the boat and fix problems. The weather this time of year is very calm, almost too calm as there is little wind and we are again motoring. We make about half the distances we hope, but I’m catching up on reading, Spanish study, and settling into the routines we will live with for months. I arrived in San Diego the end of September and have lived on this boat since. Every other week I am re-arranging my room, getting rid of stuff, making it more efficient. The same goes for the whole boat. I am the organizer. I get up early, drink too much coffee, and run around doing things. I’m into labels, zip lock bags, Tupperware, and bungee cords to hold stuff in place or keep it dry. Just before leaving San Diego, we stayed several nights at the public dock or ‘cop dock’ since the police station is next door. This is often the first or last point for boats between here and Mexico. This time of year, usually the last as everyone is headed south for warm weather and fair winds. The hurricane season generally ends after mid-October. It’s great to walk the docks and see all the different boats preparing for their journeys. We met several people whom I’m sure we’ll see again. At the cop dock, I saw everything from huge expensive yachts with shiny new gear to small cluttered old boats full of young people optimistically headed across the Pacific. A bit like rambling around in an old VW microbus. If they can make it, we can. But it’s great to compare notes, boat details, gear, and swap email addresses.

The boat is divided into our three personal spaces and then I’ve made a sort of ‘hierarchy of need’ for storage inside and out. Bob, the owner, gets the rear berth. It’s the largest by a bit, has a sink + medicine cabinet, but is directly next to the engine and below the cockpit…so he gets to listen to anyone walking around at night. And it’s constantly torn up as we do any work on the motor. Bob and Ryan use the rear head, which also doubles as the shower and pantry….don’t ask. Ryan made a space for himself by hanging blankets around the settee in the main salon. We call it ‘Fort Ryan’. It’s actually bigger than the others, but gets re-arranged if we have company. I have the V-berth up front. Probably the smallest space, but I have my own sink, medicine cabinet, and toilet…pretty deluxe. I’ve made a spider web of small black bungee material that criss-crosses the sides of my triangle shape room. I roll all my clothes and stick them behind the bungees. I took one of those closet shoe holders from Ikea and mounted it horizontally to make a nice row of ‘cubby holes’ to stuff things…socks, underwear, gloves, hats, shorts, light jackets. I have made my space so efficient, I even keep extra stuff like all the group camping gear, climbing ropes, a storm sail, office supplies + records, and even all my power tools. And more often than not….i’m the only one who knows where it all is. I won’t go on with the other storage details…pretty anal retentive…but you gotta be on a boat.

We approached St Martin island about two hours before sunset and anchored temporarily to fish some kelp beds. On the way, we spotted a few California Grey whales close off the port bow…and many more spouting plumes of spray in the distance. Dolphins are common now and I have some great video of dozens zooming across and under the bow. Nice to climb the mast steps and get a bird’s eye view. We hooked 6-7 barracuda while trolling and look forward to better eating fish as we get further south. We let them all go, but fun to land and examine. At St Martin, Ryan fished, Bob took the small kayak and trailed a surfboard to check the possibilities, and I paddled the other kayak around the lee side to explore a lagoon and look for any signs of the lava caves we read about. I passed a small fishing outpost with a few rustic buildings and rounded a point to find a quiet lagoon with about 40 harbor seals on a wide beach between black lava rocks. They scattered, except for a few. I landed as far away as I could. Seal bones everywhere…bleached vertebra and ribs…some leathery carcasses…babies that didn’t make it…two clean white skulls stood out against the black lava as I pulled up my bright blue kayak. Rough hiking. Ankle biting lava, but areas of soft green lichen like I’d expect to see in a wetter climate. The most interesting feature was a white aloe vera plant. Beautiful against the black and soft green. The white rubbed off like chalk with a touch and I soon had it on my shoes. I played Charles Darwin for a while then headed back to the kayaks to meet the boat before dark. While stumbling around looking for bones, I realized a wheezing sound was an old seal just 15 feet away. It hadn’t run off with the rest. It just slept there without noticing me. I didn’t want to scare it, but moved around so it could see me. It looked up and just laid there, opening a mouth missing many teeth. Probably an old one just waiting to pass on…wheezing and sleeping away the last days or hours….soon to add itself to the bone piles. I stared into the black eyes for a while and then backed off to give him his space.

No luck on lobster or lava caves….but we didn’t hike to the top of the crater. We did, however, get boarded and checked out by a well armed group of Mexican soldiers. They drove over to us in a small speedy boat off their big ship. I barely had time to stash the crab traps and quickly dump a delicious stone crab overboard…we think it’s illegal…need to confirm. They tied up next to us and checked all our passports plus the boat’s papers. One young guy with scary brown teeth squatted on the deck cradling his machine gun. We have been told it is a good idea to offer coffee or snacks to these guys during inspection. And maybe have a bible in plain sight. So we keep a bible on board just for that purpose…and…of course, the occasional margarita-inspired scripture study.
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